When to Use Block Quotes

Use block quotes whenever you have more than 3 lines of quotation that you are using.

How to Use Block Quotes

Block quotes are actually easy to incorporate into your paper using MLA.

• Indent the entire quotation.
• Leave the quotation marks off the block quote -- the indentation alerts the reader that it is a quote.
• At the end of the quoted passage, after the final period, cite the source of the quotation using proper MLA.

Here is an example of a block quotation used correctly (ignore the lines):

When 9-11 hijacker Zacarias Moussaoui was tried in Virginia, technology helped during the trial:

Modern technology enabled the jury to hear actual cell phone calls made by people facing their demise. Karen recalls the agonizing telephone call of a genteman who worked at a top floor of the burning World Trade Center and was hoping for a rescue. "I don't want to die. I don't want to die," he cried. "We all have young children here!" As he was talking, the building started to crumble. His last words were, "Oh, God!" (Betz 49-50).

The jury heard more cell phone testimony. The court reporters, many of whom were long time professionals, found this very hard to take emotional, and they had spent many years in the courtroom listening to many heartbreaking cases.